Honors and Awards Policy

Policy

Award Establishment and Selection:

The Board of Directors establishes the official honors and awards bestowed by the Academy, approves selection procedures, and approves annual nominees.

Procedures

Award Eligibility:

• Board of Directors Eligibility
  No member of the Academy/Foundation Boards of Directors may at the time of honors and awards selection and/or presentation be eligible to receive a national Academy honor or award. This includes those on the ballot for the following year; if a Board nominee is elected, he/she is not eligible for an award. Recognition of Service will be awarded to the Board of Directors.
  
  Members of the Academy/Foundation Boards of Directors are eligible to receive a national Academy honor or award after three (3) years upon completing their term of service, with the exception of the public member who may be eligible immediately after completing their term of office.
  
  
• Selection Committee Eligibility
  No member involved in the selection process for an Academy national honor or award may be eligible to receive an Academy national honor or award during their term of service. Recognition of Service will be awarded as appropriate.
  
  
• Candidate Eligibility
  A member will be eligible to receive a maximum of one national honor or award per year. The intent of the Honors and Awards program is to recognize a diverse group of qualified candidates. Candidates cannot be nominated posthumously, unless an Intent to Nominate has been previously submitted.
  
  A member is eligible to receive the same type of award at different points in their career contingent that they are in different areas, e.g. Academy Excellence in Practice Awards.
  
  
• Nominator Eligibility
  The person nominating a candidate for a national award must be a current Academy member. Members of the Academy/Foundation Boards of Directors are not eligible to nominate candidates for national, affiliate, DPG or MIG honors or awards.
  
  
• Employer Eligibility
  Employers of the Board of Directors or award selection committee members are eligible to receive national awards while their employees are serving the Academy.
  
  
• Intent to Nominate
  Nominators will be instructed to submit their name, the name of the nominee, and the name of the award via the Honors electronic platform by January 15.
  
  
• Letters of Support
  No current members involved in the selection process for a national honor or award including the Academy/Foundation Boards of Directors may provide a letter of support for Academy national, affiliate, DPG or MIG honors and awards nominations. Academy Staff may not write letters of support for national, affiliate, DPG or MIG honors and awards nominees. Letters of support should not duplicate a candidate's curriculum vitae. Each supporting letter should highlight one or more different aspects of the candidate's qualifications for an award and/or a unique contribution to practice, exceptional service to the profession, or inspirational leadership from the perspective of the writer.
  
  
• Candidate Selection
  Members of the Honors Committee may nominate candidates for national honors and awards in the event of insufficient nominations from the membership.
  
  
• Cut Score
  A minimum score of 75% is required to be considered for a national Academy honor or award. If a nominee does not meet the minimum score, she/he will not be considered for the award. If none of the nominees for a specific award meet the minimum score, the Honors Committee may either decide not to declare an award recipient that year, or to review the award nominees on a case by case basis to select a recipient.
  
  
• Academy Publication/Program
  No Academy publication or program will be eligible for a national Academy honor or award.
  
  

Establishing New Honors and Awards

Responsibility and Authority:

A proposal for a new, national Academy honor/award may be submitted by any member or organizational unit. The proposal must be submitted to the Honors Committee of the Board of Directors. The Honors Committee will recommend approval or denial of the proposal to the Board of Directors.

Content of a Proposal:

All proposals for new national honors/awards must contain the following information:

1. Purpose of the honor/award
2. Rationale why the current honors/awards do not meet this purpose
3. Form of honor/award
4. Sponsors of the honor/award
5. Method and criteria for selection
6. The requisites associated with the honor/award
7. Financial impact and funding source

Administration of Awards

Academy National Honors and Awards are the Lifetime Achievement Award; Distinguished Lecture Award; Honorary Membership Award; Medallion Awards; Media Excellence Award; Outstanding Social Media Award; Excellence in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Promotion Award; Outstanding Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered (NDTR) Award; and Excellence in Practice Awards.

Benefits Received by Award Recipients:

Benefits (e.g., honoraria, travel, lodging, etc.) received by recipients varies by honor or award.

Establishment of Criteria:

The Honors Committee will recommend the procedures and criteria for selecting the recipients to the Board of Directors. Any proposal for a change in an established honor/award must be submitted to the Honors Committee for review.

Solicitation of Nominations:

The Honors Committee will publicize the selection criteria and procedures for selecting the recipients of these honors/awards and will solicit nominations from the entire membership. Multichannel communication vehicles are used annually to promote the program, provide an overview of the nomination process, and offer suggestions for a successful submission.

Selection of Recipients:

The Honors Committee will recommend recipients for these awards to the Board of Directors.